Freebies are for CASA volunteers and their kids only!

All freebies are on first come first served basis.

Please call the CASA office 925-256-7284 or e-mail us (click here) if you are interested in any freebies.

Diane Petrash, CASA Support Services Coordinator

Each year I send requests throughout the community asking them to provide free or discounted admissions for CASA Volunteers and their CASA kids to attend various activities and events. 

I have recently contacted what I would refer to as “The Usual Places” such as museums, theaters, amusement parks, bowling alleys, skating rinks etc.

If you have any good ideas or connections for some of the more uncommon or unusual places, I’d really appreciate hearing about them and will be happy to contact them directly.

 Please send any information to murphydrp@aol.com

or feel free to give me a call on 925-935-2601. 

Thanks so much for your help.

Available as of 04/18/2008:

• School supplies (backpacks, note books, binder papers, glues, markers, pens, pencils, crayons)
   

• Insulated lunch boxes, quite nice and large enough to hold a good size lunch. If your CASA child did not receive one at A Day in the Park, please stop by the CASA office and pick one up for your child

CAKES FOR CASA KIDS

All CASA volunteers are invited to order a free birthday cake for their CASA child/youth.

Please e-mail Sandy Burns at sandyburns57@yahoo.com. On the subject line write Cakes for Kids, and include:

• first name only of the child,

• age at birthday,

• interest,

• cake flavor,

• what date it needs to be picked up,

at least 2 weeks before the birthday date. There is no charge for the cakes.

The cakes need to be picked up by the CASA at the home of the cake baker. You will be given this information from Sandy Burns. 

The Contra Costa Cake and Sugar Arts Society have been making birthday cakes for CASA children and youth since the society was founded in 2006. Please visit their web site: www.contracostacakeclub.org

The Children's Book Project

www.childrensbookproject.org then click on "Obtain Books"

You can pick up free books for your CASA child!

Unfortunately, we do not have room in the CASA office to store these children's

books, so you will have to pick them up from The Children's Book Project directly.

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation:

Grants of up to $250 will be awarded to CASA volunteers to help meet the critical needs of clients who are in dependency court. Examples include funding for eye glasses, dental care, medical testing, tickets to a sporting event, clothing, school supplies, tutoring, music lessons, camp, etc.

E-mail Cheri Nakisher (click here) the following information:

1. Date and notation that request is for a "CASA Resource Grant".
2. Include your name, title, address, telephone, and fax numbers.
3. Description of child, your request and reason needed (impact it will have).
4. Total amount requested and detail of how money will be spent, itemizing unit prices; checks will be made payable and mailed to the CASA volunteer. 

Application must have signature approval of supervisor (Case Management Director, Cheri Nakisher)
Application must be on CASA letterhead (Cheri will print the application on letterhead)
Application must be faxed (CASA office will fax application).

Send in your request ASAP as money is limited. If approved, funding will be available immediately.

Upon receiving the check and purchasing the items you requested in your application, please mail the receipts from those items along with a brief note explaining what the impact of the grant had on your CASA child. Your CASA child could also write a thank you note. Please keep everything confidential (no last names). These notes are passed on to the donors of the foundation. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. If you have any questions about the application process please email or call Cheri.

Please click here to download application and for more details. If you're having troubles downloading the application, please give us a call at 925-256-7284.

Summer Camp for Children of Cancer Patients

CampKesem is a free, week-long summer camp for children ages 6-13 whose parent or guardian has undergone or is undergoing cancer treatment. The camp takes place at the YMCA Camp Jones Gulch located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is staffed by college students. The camp provides a great opportunity for kids to just be kids and focuses on the specific needs of children in families coping with cancer.

CampKesem is a non-profit organization.

Camper applications are now available from www.campkesem.org/berkeley or email a request to campkesemberkeley@gmail.com.

Sleep Train has a program called Mattresses 4 Kids that awards new twin beds for kids. If a child is being returned home and the family is in need of a bed this is a great resource. This doesn¹t apply to children living in group homes or foster homes as their caregivers are responsible for providing a bed for each child under their care.
Click here for the application form.

Free Hair Styling for CASA Girls and Youth

Angrett, a professional hair stylist at Hair West Gallery Salon, is offering free hair styling on the second and third Mondays of each month. The beauty salon is located at 3670 Lone Tree Way (Raley's Shopping Center) in Antioch. Angrett specializes in African American hair.

Please call her to schedule an appointment at 925-565-0974.

FACIALS FOR THE KIDS

Susan Maguire is excited about giving any of our CASA kids mini-facials, and a lesson on skin care. Call her directly for an appointment at 925-681-3222. Make sure you tell her you are a CASA volunteer. She expects the appointments to take most of an hour. The address is 200 Gregory Lane, Suite B1, Pleasant Hill (block up from the city hall). She is a great person with teens of her own, and is really excited about finding this way to participate in the good work CASA does.